Ladybugs, Family Coccinellidae

Ladybugs, Family Coccinellidae Ladybugs, or ladybirds as they are also called, are neither bugs nor birds. Entomologists prefer the name lady beetle, which accurately places these lovable insects in the order Coleoptera. Whatever you call them, these well-known insects belong to the family Coccinellidae. All About Ladybugs Ladybugs share a characteristic shape- a dome-shaped back and a flat underside. Ladybug elytra display bold colors and markings, usually red, orange, or yellow with black spots. People often believe the number of spots on a ladybug tells its age, but this is not true. The markings may indicate a species of Coccinellid, although even individuals within a species can vary greatly. Ladybugs walk on short legs, which tuck away under the body. Their short antennae form a slight club at the end. The ladybugs head is almost hidden beneath a large pronotum. Ladybug mouthparts are modified for chewing. Coccinellids became known as ladybirds during the Middle Ages. The term lady references the Virgin Mary, who was often depicted in a red cloak. The 7-spot ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata) is said to represent the Virgins seven joys and seven sorrows. Classification of Lady Beetles Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraFamily - Coccinellidae The Ladybug Diet Most ladybugs are predators with ravenous appetites for aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Adult ladybugs will eat several hundred aphids before mating and laying eggs on the infested plants. Ladybug larvae feed on aphids as well. Some ladybug species prefer other pests, like mites, white flies, or scale insects. A few even feed on fungus or mildew. One small subfamily of ladybugs (Epilachninae) includes leaf-eating beetles like the Mexican bean beetle. A small number of beetles in this group are pests, but by far the majority of ladybugs are beneficial predators of pest insects. The Ladybug Life Cycle Ladybugs undergo complete metamorphosis in four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Depending on the species, female ladybugs may lay up to 1,000 eggs within a few months from spring to early summer. Eggs hatch within four days. Ladybug larvae resemble tiny alligators, with elongated bodies and bumpy skin. Most species go through four larval instars. The larva attaches itself to a leaf, and pupates. Ladybug pupae are usually orange. Within 3 to 12 days, the adult emerges, ready to mate and feed. Most ladybugs overwinter as adults. They form aggregates, or clusters, and take shelter in leaf litter, under bark, or other protected places. Some species, like the Asian multicolored lady beetle, prefer to spend the winter hidden in the walls of buildings. Special Adaptations and Defenses of Ladybugs When threatened, ladybugs reflex bleed, releasing hemolymph form their leg joints. The yellow hemolymph is both toxic and foul-smelling, and effectively deters predators. The ladybugs bright colors, red and black in particular, may signal its toxicity to predators as well. Some evidence suggests that ladybugs lay infertile eggs along with fertile ones, in order to provide a food source for hatching larvae. When the natural food supply is limited, the ladybug lays a higher percentage of infertile eggs. Range and Distribution of Ladybugs The cosmopolitan ladybug can be found throughout the world. Over 450 species of ladybugs live in North America, though not all are native to the continent. Worldwide, scientists have described over 5,000 Coccinellid species.

How to Answer the 10 Toughest Interview Questions

How to Answer the 10 Toughest Interview Questions Everyone is nervous on interviews, but with a little practice and guidance, you will be able to confidently answer the most difficult interview questions and land the job. To help you prepare, here 10 of the toughest interview questions and how to answer them.1. â€Å"Tell Me About Yourself†This question can be tricky because the interviewer is essentially aiming to discover who you are as a person and how well you fit with the company.Full Answer   6 Steps to Answering ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ During a Job Interview2. â€Å"Why Should I Hire You?†In an interview, few questions can throw off a candidate’s poise like the simple, â€Å"Why should I hire you?† After all, it seems redundant. What have you been talking about this entire time, if not the reasons why the company should hire you?!Full Answer   6 Dos and Don’ts for Answering â€Å"Why Should I Hire You?†3. â€Å"Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?†When you ’re sitting in an interview, there’s a good chance that most of your mental real estate lately has been going toward this day. So when the interviewer asks you where you see yourself in five years, it can be a bit of a jolt to suddenly think about the long term.Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?†Ã‚  4. â€Å"What’s Your Perfect Day?†Recently, it came out that Facebook’s head recruiter’s favorite interview question to ask is more like a personal essay question. â€Å"On your very best day at work- the day you come home and think you have the best job in the world- what did you do that day?†Now that this is making the viral rounds, don’t be surprised to hear it in your non-Facebook interviews as well. Here are some tips for breaking the question down and being ready to pounce on it.Full Answer  Ã‚  How to Answer the â€Å"What’s Your Perfect Day?† Interview Question5. â€Å"The Salary Question†The job application process has a number of separate stages: applying, interviewing, job offer, then salary negotiation and acceptance. Most employers stick to this, and let the money talk wait until things are further along. But if they jump the gun and ask you up front for a) your current salary or b) desired salary, what do you do?Full Answer   How to Answer the Salary Question in an Interview6. â€Å"Can I Contact Your Current Employer†If anyone asks where you were today, you were at a dentist’s appointment. Right? The vague â€Å"appointment,† always in the middle of the day, is a classic tactic for interviewing for new jobs while you’re still at your current one. You just put up your â€Å"out of office† message and hope no one notices that you’re awfully dressed up for a Wednesday. However, your slick cover story could be blown if the interviewing company contacts your current one.Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Can I Contact Your Current Employer?†7. â€Å"Why Have You Had So Many Jobs?†You’re sitting in the interview, and things are going fine, when the hiring manager looks up from your resume, eyebrow raised, and asks the question you’ve been dreading: â€Å"You’ve had an awful lot of jobs, haven’t you? Can you walk me through that?†Full Answer   How to Answer â€Å"Why Have You Had So Many Jobs?†8. â€Å"Aren’t You Overqualified For This Position?†In an ideal world, we’d all be applying for (and getting) a job that is a perfect, snug fit for our skills, experience, and career goals. In the real world, that’s not always an option. Maybe you were laid off, and are seeking a foot (any foot!) back in the door of your career path. Perhaps you’re feeling stalled in your current job, and are looking to move back a step or two to get new skills and experience. Whatever the reason, it co uld very well lead to the dreaded â€Å"aren’t you overqualified for this position?† question in an interview.Full Answer   The Best Way to Answer the â€Å"Aren’t You Overqualified?† Interview Question  9. â€Å"Why Are You Leaving This Position?†Chances are, the interviewer will ask you why you’re looking to leave your current job- or if you’re currently unemployed, why you left your last job.Full Answer   How to Answer the 5 Most Common Interview Questions10. â€Å"What Changes Would You Make if You Came On Board?†Watch out!   This question can derail your candidacy faster than a bomb on the tracks  and just as you are about to be hired. No matter how bright you are, you cannot know the right actions to take in a position before you settle in and get to know the operation’s strengths, weaknesses key people, financial condition, methods of operation, etc.   If you lunge at this temptingly baited question, y ou will probably be seen as someone who shoots from the hip.